Darien's Quest
by Elayne1
Summary: A young boy has been charged with a fearful quest to find the legendary nine races of men. Exiled from his own country, Darien must find the woman who plagues his dreams.
1. Prologue

Standard Disclaimers  
  
Darien's Quest  
  
Prologue  
  
In the golden city Gaea, capital of the great Earth  
  
kingdom, ruled a dynasty that lasted for a thousand years.  
  
Throughout the long years, Earth battled other kingdoms  
  
until it has united all of the people in the known civilized  
  
world. Under the kind and loving rule of the Terran family,  
  
the people lived freely and peaceful and called the last  
  
three hundred years the Golden Age.  
  
The people were celebrating the Silver Feast that  
  
honored a legend of a great age when all of the races of men  
  
lived in harmony. The celebration lasted for ten days, one  
  
for each race: Earth, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus,  
  
Neptune, Pluto, Saturn, and Moon. However, over the years  
  
the great feast became a time when people would dress up and  
  
mock each of the legendary races. They thought that there  
  
could be no better age than theirs, for they lived in peace  
  
and prosperity. They felt that only the Terran family has  
  
brought them the great age they have desired for so long.  
  
They also could not fathom how the other races of man  
  
could exist. The Earth people had brown eyes and hair that  
  
matched the soil that they lived on. The first day was the  
  
feast of Earth because they believed that they are the true  
  
race of men and the others are just myths. On the second  
  
day, they celebrated Mercury. Those people were known for  
  
their vast wisdom. They lived on a mysterious island,  
  
called Atlantis, somewhere out in the great ocean. They  
  
were said to have blue hair and eyes. Mars was celebrated  
  
on the third day. This legendary race lived in the heart of  
  
the Great Volcano. They had black hair and eyes that always  
  
had fire reflecting in them. These people had the power of  
  
prophesy. The people of Jupiter were celebrated on the  
  
fourth day and were know for their great size and green  
  
eyes. They were thought to have lived in the heart of the  
  
jungle. These people had Herculean strength that surpassed  
  
all of the other races. The Venus feast occurred on the  
  
fifth day. They were known for their beauty and had hair  
  
that was like gold. They lived in the mythical city of El  
  
Dorado, in the valley below the High Mountains. On the  
  
sixth day, the Earth people feasted on the day of Uranus.  
  
These people were whispered to be very tall and had long  
  
legs that let them race the wind. They often wore their  
  
hair short. This race was heard to dwell on the High  
  
Mountains. The race of Neptune was celebrated on the next  
  
day. These people had sight beyond sight. They were able  
  
to look in to other's hearts and souls. The Neptune people  
  
were thought to have lived under the sea. They had hair so  
  
blue-green; one would have guessed that it were a part of  
  
the sea. The race of Earth feasted Pluto on the eighth day.  
  
These people lived underground and were dark to match the  
  
environment they lived in. According to legend, these people  
  
were the guardians of the Door of Time. On the next to the  
  
last day, was the celebration of Saturn. These people had  
  
dark hair and pale, fragile bodies. They lived in Avalon,  
  
the land between life and death. These people were feared  
  
because they brought death and destruction. On the last day,  
  
the Moon people were celebrated. These people had large blue  
  
eyes like the sky and pale blonde hair that was the color of  
  
the moon. No one remembers much about the moon people except  
  
they ruled over all of the nine races. They had a great and  
  
powerful crystal, the Mystical Silver Crystal, from which  
  
their awesome power drew.  
  
It was whispered that the Moon and Earth had a dangerous  
  
love affair and that in the blood of the Terran family ran  
  
thinly that of the Moon. No one believed in this old wives  
  
tale, for none of the royal family showed any sign of the  
  
moon-blood. None of them had blue eyes.  
  
************************************************************  
  
The queen was overdue for her child. All of the Earth  
  
kings were born on the day of the Earth. However, that was  
  
nine days ago and today was the feast of the Moon. She  
  
began to worry about her child and if it would ever be born.  
  
At that moment she went into labor. A few hours later she  
  
birthed a boy; a boy with blue eyes.  
  
***  
  
I hope that you like my story. I have most of it done, so I  
  
decided that I should share my adventure! Hope that you  
  
like it! 


	2. Chapter One

Standard Disclaimers  
  
Darien's Quest  
  
Chapter One  
  
  
  
The king was outraged when he heard his firstborn had  
  
the trait of the Moon, the deep blue eyes. He was scared  
  
and feared what this sign predicted. 'The legend can't  
  
be true! We are not mixed breeds, are we?' He sent for the  
  
best soothsayers in the land. All were baffled at this  
  
young child. He seemed to possess special powers that the  
  
Earth people did not have. It was almost like he was linked  
  
with the Earth. After many years of studying the child, the  
  
king was not satisfied with their explanations for his son,  
  
his Darien. One of his advisors spoke of an old woman who  
  
knew of the myths and legends of the previous ages. She  
  
lived in the old ruins of one of the old nations that  
  
worshiped the Moon. The king sent for her and within a  
  
month she arrived.  
  
**************************************************  
  
"Sire, what do you want with my services? I have  
  
traveled long and far from my home. Please ask your  
  
question and let me go," the old woman announced with  
  
authority.  
  
"Old woman, it is said that you know of the old  
  
legends, the age from long ago. Please the look at my young  
  
boy. Tell me why he was born not of the Earth but of the  
  
Moon," the king demanded.  
  
"As you wish, my king."  
  
"Follow me then." He took her to Darien's room. She  
  
went over to the four year old and held up his face and  
  
stared into his eyes. Then to the king's surprise, she  
  
laughed and then cried.  
  
"So, it has finally happened. The rebirth has begun.  
  
Your son has been chosen. He must find the other eight  
  
races and the princess of the Moon. Once he finds her, his  
  
destiny will be revealed." She walked out of the child's  
  
room.  
  
The king was so lost in his own thoughts that he did  
  
not see her leave. 'What does she mean "the rebirth has  
  
begun"? Chosen? More like cursed!' The king snapped out of  
  
his thoughts and saw that she had left. "Guards! Where did  
  
that woman go? Find her!" he yelled. After hours of  
  
searching, they could not find any trace of her. They even  
  
search her out at her home, but never did she return.  
  
"So my young son, you have a quest a head of you. So  
  
be it! I will train you with the best swordsman and teach  
  
you with the best philosophers." The king looked lovingly  
  
at his special son. Young Darien was playing with his toy  
  
blocks unaware the destiny that has been placed upon his  
  
little shoulders.  
  
*********************************************  
  
Sixteen years later, Darien had turn into an impressive  
  
man. He was courted by all of the beauties of the land. He  
  
was known for his strength and his intelligence. People saw  
  
his blue eyes as a part of his perfection and soon forgot  
  
the foretelling of Darien's future. However, the king and  
  
queen never forgot, but instead of burdening their son, they  
  
kept his future from him. However, beyond his perfect body  
  
and looks, his heart was hard. He never desired any of the  
  
women that loved him. He knew that he must have a greater  
  
importance to life, for he is the only one of the people who  
  
had blue eyes. The Earth people worried about his arrogance  
  
and wondered if any love existed in his cold heart. They  
  
hoped that once he found a love, his heart would change and  
  
turned into his father's son. However, that day never  
  
came.  
  
Today was his twentieth birthday, the day that marked  
  
him a man. Darien was expecting his father to formally name  
  
him his heir at the feast of his birth. Darien was the  
  
firstborn, and he did not have any siblings. The feast was  
  
delicious and all of the court attended for they too thought  
  
that he would be blessed by the king and be named his  
  
successor.  
  
When everyone was finished with their meal and  
  
chatting, the king stood up and the murmuring silenced.  
  
"Lords and Ladies, I greet you and thank you for attending.  
  
Darien it is time for you to learn of your destiny. Twenty  
  
years ago, you were supposed to be born on the day of the  
  
Earth. However, fate has marked you for a different purpose  
  
than to rule. Your true birthday is not until nine days  
  
from now, on the day of the Moon. When you were born, we  
  
were shocked to find that you had blue eyes. It seemed to  
  
your mother and I that you belonged to the Moon and not to  
  
the Earth. We had many magicians, prophets and soothsayers  
  
study you when you were little, but none could tell us of  
  
your unusual powers and your destiny. We became desperate  
  
and perused a witch, the last of the White Moon priestesses.  
  
She looked into your eyes and said, 'So the rebirth has  
  
begun.' She told me that you must seek out the Moon princess  
  
and the eight other races of man. Now that you have become  
  
a man, it is now your time to start your quest. Let all who  
  
are present bare witness, Darien, my son, I charge you to  
  
seek the Moon princess and her people. By doing so, you may  
  
not return to my court until you have succeeded or are dead.  
  
It has been spoken. This is your last night in my dwelling,  
  
you leave on the morrow." At the end of this frightening  
  
speech, the queen's red satin gown was stained from the  
  
tears that she shed. The king was pale as death, with his  
  
lips pressed together tightly.  
  
Darien sat in shock at his father's speech. 'How could  
  
he do this to me! This is not supposed to be my destiny. I  
  
am supposed to rule, my visions told me I would rule over  
  
all of the people. If my father closes the door on me, my  
  
dreams will never come true. There is no way I will be able  
  
to return home! That is just a legend! It is not true!!'  
  
At the moment he thought this, the doors flew open and the  
  
clouds in the sky parted and revealed a large bright full  
  
moon. The prince look down from the sky and saw the last of  
  
the Moon priestesses. She was an old woman with long silver  
  
hair that fell to her feet. It was in two ponytails with  
  
balls on top of her head. She stood with a staff in her  
  
right hand. 'She is real! I cannot believe it!'  
  
She searched the court until her eyes fell on Darien  
  
and smiled at him. Her gaze was so strong, that without  
  
thinking Darien stood up from his seat and walked to her.  
  
The court watched Darien walk up to the woman and kissed her  
  
hand and knelt at her feet. "So, Endymion, you have been  
  
returned," she says softly. 'That is the voice of my  
  
dreams,' he thought. The priestess raised her staff above  
  
her head and a bright white light surrounded her. When  
  
everyone was able to see again, they saw something very  
  
frightening. The old woman had become young again. She  
  
looked the age of twenty but she still retained her silver  
  
hair. "Prince, I charge you to a difficult quest. Find the  
  
princess of the eight forgotten races: Mercury, Mars,  
  
Jupiter, Venus, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Saturn. They  
  
are the court and sole protectors of my daughter. I am  
  
Queen Selenity of the Moon Kingdom that fell one thousand  
  
years ago. Seek out my daughter. She was lost in the  
  
Hundred Year War and was never found. When you find her,  
  
your true destiny will be revealed. Go! Find your true  
  
love!" The Moon Queen bends down and kisses him on the  
  
head.  
  
**************************************************  
  
"What! What kind of dream was that? That woman, I  
  
knew her, but from where?" he questions himself. He looks  
  
around and sees that he is in his bed. "Oh, thank the  
  
races, that was just a dream. I better get up it looks like  
  
it is midday."  
  
When his servant heard Darien talking to himself, he  
  
entered the prince's room. "Sire, it is time. Your father  
  
asks you to leave by the time the feast of Mercury begins."  
  
The servant bows and leaves the room for Darien to grasp  
  
what has happened in the two days.  
  
  
  
***  
  
Tell me what you think! 


	3. Chapter Two

Standard Disclaimers  
  
Darien's Quest  
  
Chapter Two  
  
The prince looks back on the beautiful city that he had  
  
called his home only a few moments ago. His father and  
  
mother did not even say goodbye to him. 'It is like I am  
  
dead.' He turns around and heads west for the sea. He knew  
  
more about the possible location of Mercury than any of the  
  
other hidden palaces. What his people did not remember was  
  
that up to about two hundred years ago, the Kingdom of Earth  
  
traded with that advanced culture. It is said that they  
  
lived on an island that had rings around it in the middle  
  
of the sea. The only place where there were known islands  
  
were in the southwestern section of the Blue Sea.  
  
The prince traveled day after day until a fortnight  
  
later he reached Harbor City. This city had the best ships  
  
and best crews. He sought out a captain that knew of the  
  
legend of Mercury. There was only one who would agree to  
  
see Darien. The captain was a very large man who had dark  
  
black hair that almost looked blue. In the sunlight Darien  
  
could have sworn that it was. They met in a tavern at the  
  
edge of town and sat in the corner where none would hear  
  
their conversation.  
  
"So you are looking for a ship? Well, I have the  
  
fastest ship in the whole city. If I may ask, why are you  
  
searching out Atlantis?" The captain had a low husky voice  
  
and eyes that seemed too intelligent to just to belong to a  
  
captain of a ship.  
  
"I have my reasons. Are you willing to take me there?  
  
Do you know where it is?" Darien was meeting the captain  
  
stare for stare, wit for wit.  
  
The captain touched his left forearm unconsciously.  
  
When he realized what he had done he crossed his arms, right  
  
over left. But Darien saw the mark, the tattoo of the  
  
people of Mercury. 'So, this man is one of the Mercury  
  
people! He has to know where Atlantis lies.' "I will give  
  
one hundred gold pieces to take me there and to keep our  
  
voyage a secret."  
  
The Mercurian captain debated visibly and looked at  
  
Darien one more time with those eyes. "Done then. I will  
  
take you there. But you will not enjoy the ride. It will  
  
take one week with my special ship." He sat there chuckling  
  
to himself while Darien wondered what could be so funny.  
  
*******************************************  
  
'Now I know.' The ship sped through the water, while  
  
Darien hung over the side. Never had the crew seen a sight  
  
of such severe case of seasickness until that week. 'I must  
  
have lost about twenty pounds from trying to eat and then  
  
having it come back up again. What day are we on again? I  
  
hope it will not take much longer.' After Darien had  
  
emptied his stomach, he walked down to the captain's cabin.  
  
The captain willing lent his cabin to the young prince. As  
  
he was opening the door, he heard the captain call down to  
  
him.  
  
"Lord! We will arrive at Atlantis by nightfall.  
  
Please come on deck so I may teach you the customs of the  
  
people of Atlantis!"  
  
Darien groaned inwardly, but followed the sound of the  
  
captain's voice. The captain had taken the wheel as he  
  
always did when nearing a port. Darien clenched his teeth  
  
so he would not humiliate himself again in front of the  
  
captain. 'If he can take all of this swaying, so can I.'  
  
"Captain, what do you wish to advise me?" Darien questioned  
  
irritably.  
  
"Lord, when you reach Atlantis you will want to stay at  
  
a reliable inn? I recommend that you stay at the Plato's  
  
Preserve. Since we will be getting in late, we will have to  
  
have the audience with Director of Foreign Affairs early  
  
tomorrow morning." The captain was staring off into the  
  
distance while rubbing his beard. "Then the Director will  
  
decide whether to let you go do as you please. He may just  
  
decline your request and you will be on the next ship out of  
  
Atlantis. Just so you know, the last time a foreigner  
  
stepped on Atlantian soil was one hundred years ago," the  
  
captain said matter-of-factly. He was amused at Darien's  
  
pale face, but he noticed determination and strength in his  
  
deep blue eyes. 'Maybe he is not what he appears. Maybe  
  
the rumors of this young cub are true.' From around the  
  
nation, Darien was known as being hard and cruel. His  
  
coldness even spread out into the ends of civilization. He  
  
was heard to be quick tempered and hard headed. His people  
  
feared Darien and they rejected him for being the prince.  
  
They prayed daily that a deliverer would come and remove  
  
Darien from the being the heir.  
  
"What do you mean that I have to see a 'director' for  
  
me just to visit the city? I have no evil intentions. I  
  
just only want to…" Darien shut his mouth when he realized  
  
when he was going to tell his quest. 'I must watch my  
  
tongue. No one must know who I am and the shame I carry.  
  
Besides, I don't think they would like the idea of me taking  
  
away their princess.' "…look around. I am a scholar. I  
  
have heard of the wonders of the great and wise city of  
  
Atlantis. I would like to record them in my book," Darien  
  
lied.  
  
"Well, if that is the case. I don't think you will  
  
have much of a problem. However, you will have to write  
  
your book here and then leave it. Once you are finished and  
  
are going to leave, your memory will be erased. We don't  
  
want to have contact with the outside world. You have your  
  
kingdom and we have our own. Nor will you remember or find  
  
me once you leave. I will personally see to that. Now,  
  
young scholar, why don't you go to down below? You do not  
  
look so well." The captain laughed as Darien's face turned  
  
from white to beat red. Darien spun on his heel and turned  
  
around and went down to his room. "That young boy is going  
  
to cause all of us trouble. I can see that like a raging  
  
storm rising up from the horizon." The captain pondered for  
  
the next few hours on what Darien would want with Atlantis  
  
and if he had made a mistake for taking him to his home.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Atlantis was a beautiful city, with buildings that were  
  
pure white that looked like they scraped the sky. Darien  
  
became dizzy just looking at them. All of the streets were  
  
paved with brick and every intersection was exactly a  
  
ninety-degree angle. They had lights every twenty feet that  
  
illuminated the whole city. There were not any sign of  
  
beggars or thieves. The city was perfectly clean like a new  
  
pearl glittering in the night. As Darien was escorted to  
  
the inn recommended by the captain, he noticed the amount of  
  
bookshops; there were at least one at every intersection.  
  
They ranged from antiques to fiction to textbooks. Each  
  
were competing with the others to have the greatest  
  
business. Darien looked into these shops and were surprised  
  
to see the amount of people were in there reading and  
  
studying. 'Is this what they do for pleasure? Well, the rumors are true: Atlantians are the seekers of wisdom.'  
  
When he reached Plato's Pleasure, the innkeeper was  
  
cleaning up the tables from the evening meal. Not a soul  
  
was in the dining hall because everyone was enjoying a night  
  
of studying. Darien was too tired for a meal and he did  
  
not think his stomach as ready to take in food just yet. He  
  
retired to his luxurious room. It had a king-size bed with  
  
a mattress that was recently flipped. Beautiful paintings  
  
decorated the wall, and the hearth had an engraving of an  
  
ancient language. Darien tried to recall all of the history  
  
lessons and the ancient literature classes he had taken  
  
while growing up, but none of them could match the words  
  
written in the hearth.  
  
"It says, 'Mercury, Guardian of Knowledge.' It is  
  
written in the long forgotten text of the Moon. Your people  
  
do not remember the Silver Millennium, but we have kept  
  
copies of their writings throughout the years," the captain  
  
spoke in the doorway. "Your appointment is at midday. You  
  
will feast with the director. He is interested in meeting a  
  
young scholar from the outside world. So you better get  
  
your rest, young lord, for it will be a long day tomorrow."  
  
The captain bade Darien a good night and closed the door  
  
behind him.  
  
'Great, Darien! Look what you have gotten yourself  
  
into. Maybe being a scholar will be the best. They may let  
  
me go into their archives and see what happened one thousand  
  
years ago.' All of a sudden he recalled the beautiful woman  
  
with silver hair, '"Go and find your true love!" She kissed  
  
him on the head and blessed him.' The vision soon faded  
  
from his mind and left a terrible headache. Darien soon  
  
forgot the unusual dream and laid down in bed and fell  
  
quickly asleep.  
  
********************************************  
  
'"Help me…"' a voice whispered like the wind. Darien  
  
woke up to see the sun shining brightly through the window.  
  
The sunlight illuminated the room creating everything to  
  
sparkle and shining in warmth. Darien rolled out of bed  
  
feeling the weight of restless sleep on his shoulders. He  
  
washed his face and hands and dressed for the day. He  
  
decided to leave his sword and armor there, otherwise the  
  
director would question to his false identity as a scholar.  
  
He left the room and went down to the dining area to eat  
  
some breakfast. All they had were cold chicken from the  
  
night before. Darien graciously accepted when he heard his  
  
stomach cry out for food. Darien realized that he had not  
  
eaten anything in days. He chose to stop eating half way  
  
during the trip because he was tired of seeing the insides  
  
of his stomach.  
  
While Darien was eating, the captain strutted up to him  
  
and took a seat. "Good morning, young scholar. Are you  
  
ready for your test? I hope you can live up to who you say  
  
you are. Atlanitians are not fond of liars."  
  
"Good morning, sir. Yes, I am ready," Darien said  
  
without emotion. His face was expressionless. However, his  
  
heart thumped a thousand times minute. Darien knew he had  
  
to put on his most brilliant performance in order to  
  
convince these people to let him study in their libraries.  
  
He must find out why he was chosen to go on this quest.  
  
After he finished eating, Darien along with his private  
  
escort of the captain and his crew strolled the streets of  
  
this great city. Darien had to compose himself every time  
  
he saw the people of Mercury. "Their hair and eyes are  
  
really blue. I cannot believe it!" he mumbled to himself.  
  
He finally decided to just look at the beautiful buildings  
  
around him. He realized that this city was more magnificent  
  
than his old home. Home. Thinking of that word made Darien  
  
feel like some stabbed him in the heart. He shook the  
  
painful memory from his mind and focused on the task ahead  
  
of him.  
  
Suddenly, the captain announced that they had arrived.  
  
Darien cleared his mind of all thoughts and prepared himself  
  
for the role he had to play. They entered a large mansion  
  
that was the color of water after the storm. Inside was  
  
magnificent, with lovely tapestries that pictured beautiful  
  
women. One had four women dressed in what looked to be  
  
sailor uniforms, but the skirts were too short. The women  
  
were beautiful. One had blue hair, like the people from  
  
Mercury. Another was tall like a giant with green eyes. The  
  
other two were just as equally beautiful as the others. One  
  
had raven color eyes and hair, while the other woman had  
  
hair that seemed to be made of gold. Another had a picture  
  
of the moon in the background and a woman with her face  
  
hidden in the shadows. She was dressed in white with long  
  
hair in pigtails flowing in the wind. On the other side of  
  
this tapestry was a hanging of three other women and what  
  
looked to be a young girl. Two of them were embracing each  
  
other. One was tall with long legs, while the other had  
  
hair the color of the ocean. The other woman was dark and  
  
holding a pale young child that seem to have wisdom in her  
  
young eyes. There was a huge one at the center of the long  
  
corridor. It had all of the women together. The sailor  
  
women were surrounding a beautiful princess as she knelt on  
  
the ground beside a man who looked to be dead. He then  
  
noticed that the lovely princess was crying. As, tears  
  
flowing from her eyes, she was reaching for the knight's  
  
sword.  
  
"Don't!" Darien cried aloud. Everyone stopped at  
  
looked at him. He did not even hear the introduction of the  
  
director. Darien was so caught up at that picture that he  
  
began to weep. The director followed his gaze and smiled.  
  
All of a sudden, Darien realized what he had done. He  
  
quickly composed himself and whipped the tears from his  
  
eyes. "Please forgive me, great sir. I was looking at your  
  
beautiful tapestries and was completely taken in by them."  
  
"So, you like my works of art? I made them myself. I  
  
too get caught up in them sometimes. Do you know the story  
  
behind them?" the director asked.  
  
"No sir, to be honest that is why I am here in your  
  
city. I would love to hear the tale." Darien eagerly waited  
  
for the director to share his knowledge. He hoped that  
  
somehow learning about this tragic tale would answer his  
  
question that had haunted him all of his life.  
  
"All I am allowed to tell you is that a long time ago,  
  
a great nation fell to the hands of evil beings. Those nine  
  
women were the rulers of that nation." The director looked  
  
down from the work of art into Darien's eyes. "Strange, I  
  
thought the Earth people had brown eyes."  
  
Darien looked down trying to hide them. "Blue eyes are  
  
very rare for the Earth people."  
  
The director stood there observing him. Darien could  
  
feel those eyes staring through him as if trying to find the  
  
truth in him. Darien looked up and met the director's eyes  
  
and stared back trying to hide everything about him. By  
  
doing so, the director knew Darien even more. 'So, you have  
  
returned have you? It has been a long time my friend. I  
  
cannot tell you anymore know otherwise the future we all  
  
desire will slip away. However, I will turn you toward the  
  
direction you seek.' "Come, share my meal with me and we  
  
will talk." He gestured to follow him and led his guests in  
  
to the dining hall. The meal was already laid out for  
  
everyone. Once Darien had taken his seat, he finally  
  
noticed that the captain and his crew had left. He was  
  
about to ask about their disappearance but then thought  
  
better of it. He was in the director's home and subject to  
  
his rules.  
  
The director was a very cheery and knowledgeable man.  
  
He talked about the different histories of Darien's nation  
  
while Darien added and commented on what he knew. They had  
  
a very pleasant discussion and debate. Both learned much  
  
more about the continuous change of the Earth nation. Once  
  
the feast was over and both had eaten much more than they  
  
should have. They sat in silence each wondering about the  
  
other and how to get what they wanted.  
  
The director broke the silence, "The princess wishes to  
  
see you to night at her ball. She has never seen a  
  
foreigner before and she is very interested in seeing you.  
  
You will attend and if you are willing, you are welcome to  
  
join my personal escort."  
  
"Thank you sir. I will take up your offer. If you  
  
will excuse me I would like go and prepare for the ball."  
  
Darien got up and bowed and turned to leave the room.  
  
"You are welcome to enjoy my library for the time being  
  
and I think my servants will be able to find some noble suit  
  
to your liking," the director offered.  
  
"Thank you gracious sir, I will take you up on that  
  
offer." Darien bowed deeper in gratitude.  
  
He spent the rest of the day in the library studying  
  
the histories of different nation. However, he was not able  
  
to find anything on the mysterious nation that fell. He was  
  
unable to shake the memory of the princess from his mind.  
  
'Who is she? Why do I feel like I know her?' She plagued  
  
his mind.  
  
A knock on the door caused him wake up from his deep  
  
thoughts. Soon he forgot about the princess. The servant  
  
announced that it was time for Darien to get ready. The  
  
servant said he hoped that Darien would like the suit that  
  
has been picked out for him. When Darien arrived in one of  
  
the guest rooms, he saw a magnificent costume that was a  
  
dark purple that was a velvet material. It fit him  
  
perfectly and enhanced the color of his eyes. The servant  
  
then brought a spectacular sword. It had engravings of a  
  
crescent moon beside the earth while roses surrounded them  
  
on to the hilt. On the blade was written ruins of a dead  
  
language. Darien picked it up and it felt perfect in his  
  
hand. The sword was balanced perfectly. He examined the  
  
metals of the hilt and sword and he was unable to identify  
  
them. He knew this sword from somewhere but he could not  
  
remember. He sheathed his newly acquired sword and belted  
  
it to him. Somehow he knew that he could never depart  
  
without it again.  
  
The servant said that they were finished dressing him  
  
and gave him a white mask to wear. Darien put it on and it  
  
completed his costume. Another servant came by and said  
  
that the carriage was waiting. Darien met the director in  
  
the corridor and they walked out together to the carriage.  
  
The night was beautiful one with the moon shining down and  
  
showing the way. They soon came to the palace that was the  
  
same hue of the deep blue sea. Everywhere there were  
  
statues or paintings of great philosophers of Atlantis.  
  
Even though, Darien did not find what he was looking for, he  
  
did enjoy the vast history of this nation. There were  
  
hundreds of people each dressed in different colors of blue.  
  
He was the only one dressed in a different color, but some  
  
reason he knew that that was how it was supposed to be.  
  
During the ball, he talked to many lords and dukes. He  
  
danced with many women. He seemed to be the prince of the  
  
night. Then one girl came up to him and asked him to dance.  
  
She had a beautiful gown on with sapphires that matched her  
  
eyes. Her hair was dark blue and fairly short. They  
  
waltzed for the next two songs and all the while Darien  
  
swore that he had seen her before, but where. Once the last  
  
song ended, she said thank you and asked him to join her  
  
mother. Darien agreed and followed the young mysterious  
  
girl. Soon he realized that she was taking him to the  
  
queen. He knelt at her feet and waited for her to tell him  
  
to rise.  
  
"Please stand young lord. I have heard much about you.  
  
You are the exiled prince of the Earth that was charged with  
  
a great quest. Yes, we have even heard from out here." She  
  
smiled at the surprised look Darien had on his face. "Since  
  
you will need guidance for finding the last of the races, I  
  
will let my daughter Ami journey with you. Please take care  
  
of her and watch over her. Now, I will let you go and  
  
prepare for your journey. You will leave early on the  
  
morrow." She looked sad as she looked at her young  
  
daughter, "You have to hurry," she told them. "There is not  
  
much time left. She is slipping away fast. The future must  
  
be saved!" Then she dismissed them and Darien returned to  
  
the director thanked him for his kindness and asked where to  
  
return the costume and sword.  
  
"They were never mine. I am just doing a favor for a  
  
friend. Please return them to the rightful owner once you  
  
find him. You will know who he is once you meet him." They  
  
clasped hands and shook and said their farewells. As Darien  
  
left, the director whispered, "Please, Endymion, find her."  
  
***  
  
Wow! This chapter is very long! I am not promising the same  
  
length for all of them since I wrote the story all together in  
  
one Word Document and I am still finishing up the last few  
  
chapters. Hope that you are still enjoying it! 


	4. Chapter Three

Standard Disclaimers  
  
Darien's Quest  
  
Chapter Three  
  
  
  
The next day was fogy as if something was trying to  
  
stop the two heroes from continuing on their quest. "Hmm,  
  
this fog seemed to appear at the most inopportune times,"  
  
Ami said. She went into her bag and pulled out what to be a  
  
compact.  
  
'Why in the world is worried about her looks at a time  
  
like this?' Darien wondered. The queen had given him some  
  
kind of herb that would calm his sensitive stomach for their  
  
journey ahead. Now, the rocking of the boat did not trouble  
  
him, and in some way he enjoyed the waves hitting up against  
  
the boat splashing his face.  
  
"Hmm, I guess the next one to search out is Mars. From  
  
our records, their people live in a giant volcano in  
  
the south. The only one in that area is Phobos-Deimos. It  
  
will take four months to get there." Ami forehead was  
  
wrinkled in concentration. Then she smiled and looked up at  
  
Darien with wisdom sparking in her eyes. "But I can get us  
  
there quicker. Captain! Lower the sails! Prepare the air  
  
cruiser!" Ami ordered.  
  
"Yes, My Lady." The captain bowed deeply. "Men, you  
  
heard the lady!" The sails quickly fell and were wrapped up  
  
tight. Everyone was running around like mad trying to  
  
complete their task quickly.  
  
"Princess, if I may ask? What is going on?"  
  
"Please just call me Ami. We are changing the  
  
structure of this ship into an air ship. It will be much  
  
quicker. We will get there within the week. I have added a  
  
few new things to the theory of flying and I believe it will  
  
work," Ami lectured.  
  
'She is crazy! This girl is out of her mind—thinking  
  
we can fly!' All of a sudden, Darien felt some force coming  
  
up from under him. He looked over the side of the ship and  
  
saw that they were rising off of the water. Darien's head  
  
started to spin at the notion.  
  
Ami laughed at his reaction when they took off. "Did  
  
you not believe me? I am the princess and the genius of my  
  
people. This task is easy for me. Now I must attend to my  
  
cat, Luna. Do you wish to meet her? She very anxious to  
  
meet you." Ami laughed.  
  
Darien followed her below deck until they came to a  
  
large box of some sort. Ami opened the box and lying in  
  
there was a black cat with a crescent moon on her forehead.  
  
"I am sorry Luna, but it was the only way we could sneak  
  
past mother. If she heard that you were coming, she would  
  
have been very angry. Please forgive me." Ami scratched  
  
the cat under her chin. "Luna, meet Darien."  
  
Darien did not know what to say to the cat. Ami was  
  
talking to it like it could understand what she was saying.  
  
"Uh, hi Luna. I am Darien from the uh… Earth kingdom.  
  
Well, was from."  
  
To Darien surprise, the cat responded to him, "Hello, I  
  
am Luna first cat of the moon people. I hear you are trying  
  
to find my people. Unfortunately, they have all vanished.  
  
I too wish to find them," Luna purred.  
  
"Moon people? Ahhh!" Pain shot through his whole  
  
body. Darien grabbed his head and fell. 'An old woman turned  
  
new… A quest charged that seemed impossible. "Find  
  
the nine races! Find my daughter!!"' Then everything went  
  
black.  
  
****************************************  
  
For two days, Darien dreamt, each of them visions of  
  
the girl who was crying. He heard himself scream when he  
  
saw her die. It was an endless nightmare. Luna and Ami  
  
watched over him. "He has a very bad fever. It may kill  
  
him. Do you think he is the one Luna?"  
  
"Yes, he screams out her name every night, but he does  
  
not remember. He does not want to remember, the pain is to  
  
great for him."  
  
At the sound of their whispers, Darien opened his eyes.  
  
Pain flashed in them. Ami knew that he would continue to  
  
suffer until he chooses to remember and realize that he has  
  
been given a second chance. "What," Darien could barely  
  
speak and his throat was so dry. He did not even recognize  
  
the sound of his voice, "what day is it?"  
  
"You have been unconscious for two days. Here drink  
  
this, it will help you sleep." She gave him some wine mixed  
  
with some herbs. She had a sad look on her face.  
  
Darien knew he was dying and was welcoming it. 'I will  
  
not have to suffer anymore. It was my fault that she was  
  
lost.' He did not understand why but he knew he caused her  
  
suffering. He laughed bitterly at the thought of his death.  
  
'Well, at least I will return home sooner than I expected.'  
  
"Darien, you must fight it or everything will be lost!  
  
Remember your one true desire!" Ami yelled.  
  
"Don't, Ami, he's already been lost. We cannot break  
  
this tragic cycle…" Luna said. Darien lost all of the words  
  
she said afterwards.  
  
1 '"He's already been lost…Find my daughter!" No, no  
  
2 this is not supposed to happen like this. I must keep my  
  
3 promise to her…'  
  
Darien's body began to glow a golden hue. "What? What  
  
is going on Luna?" Ami frighteningly said.  
  
"He is fighting, Ami. The prince is coming back to us.  
  
Look at his sword, it is flashing!" Luna exclaimed. The  
  
prince reached and touched his sword. When he did so the  
  
ruins flashed brightly and then returned to normal. Luna  
  
smiled, "He is coming back to us."  
  
****************************************  
  
Darien woke the next day to see some water and bread  
  
laid out next to on a tray. He became dizzy when he tried  
  
to sit up. Soon he lost all energy and just laid back down.  
  
"Don't try to get up too quickly, Darien. You are far too  
  
weak from your fever." Darien heard a voice in the dark.  
  
Luna then jumped on top of him that prevented him from  
  
getting up again. "Ami, he is awake! Are you hungry?  
  
There is some bread and water, but you should not have too  
  
much." Ami walked in wearing a white blouse and blue  
  
britches.  
  
"Oh, you are up. Great!" She flashed a smile. "We are  
  
almost there. I think we will be there in the next thirty-  
  
six hours. You better get your rest. Sleep as much as you  
  
can to recover your strength," she said as she handed him  
  
the water and bread. "I just hope that you will recover  
  
your strength before we get into Mars country. We will need  
  
your strength. It is not as friendly as mine." She left  
  
the room for Darien to eat and then rest. Darien ate the  
  
food slowly trying to swallow every bite. He finally gave  
  
up after a few bites and just drank the water. After he was  
  
finished with his small meal, he dosed off to sleep. Luna  
  
just laid down beside him and took a small catnap.  
  
****************************************  
  
After sleeping for two more days, Darien finally got  
  
up. He ate food set out for him. The last few days he  
  
drifted in and out of sleep while he recovered. Now, he  
  
felt fully revived. He could not understand how healed so  
  
fast. Usually a person who is as sick as he was usually is  
  
bedridden for the next two weeks.  
  
"You have the ability to heal," Luna informed him. "It  
  
is one of your many hidden talents. Soon you will be able  
  
to discover all of them."  
  
"How do you know that? How do you know so much about  
  
me? How come everyone knows some much about me and won't  
  
tell me?" Darien yelled in frustration.  
  
"Prince, you must find that out yourself. It is not  
  
our place to tell you who you are, nor your future. But I  
  
will tell you this: you are a part of a great future. To  
  
obtain this future, you must find out who you are and accept  
  
it. We cannot tell you otherwise it will be lost forever."  
  
"So be it." Darien got up angrily. He dressed quickly  
  
and stomped up the stairs to the upper deck. It was hot out  
  
and when the wind blew only hot air flowed through Darien's  
  
dark hair. Darien looked up into the sky and saw that it  
  
was black with ash.  
  
"It is the result of the volcano," Ami informed him as  
  
she followed his gaze up to the heavens. "It is the volcano  
  
that causes this is the place where we go. Do you see smoke  
  
rising up from a mountain in the distance? That is where we  
  
will go. We will be there in a few minutes." Ami started  
  
to yell instructions for the crew to slow down the ship.  
  
When Darien looked for the mountain the volcano again, he  
  
saw it was really close. He could see that the volcano had  
  
caused an island to form around the base. He saw trees that  
  
he had never seen before. For being an island that was  
  
created by a volcano, there were tons of vegetation and  
  
life. He could see birds of the sea flying around the whole  
  
island. Within a few moments the ship stopped completely  
  
over the beach. The sailors threw down ladder and Ami  
  
climbed down. Then came Darien with Luna and finally the  
  
captain. Darien scanned the area for any sign of human  
  
life. Ami was looking at her compact again which she told  
  
him earlier was a mini computer, whatever that was. Darien  
  
did not press the issue.  
  
"There are four beings coming this way. Well, it looks  
  
like we don't have to find them; they will find us. Darien  
  
put away your sword. We don't need a fight right now. We  
  
must show them that we come in peace. The Mars people are a  
  
lot different than either of our cultures. The women are in  
  
charge of the tribes and are the warriors. They also have  
  
special powers in foretelling. As I expected, the priestess  
  
has foreseen our arrival and has sent an escort." As  
  
always, Ami was right. Four women broke through the brush  
  
with out making a sound. They carried bows and arrows. All  
  
four had raven dark hair and eyes. Darien could see the  
  
sunset flash in their eyes from the distance.  
  
The tallest one stepped forward, "Come with us. Our  
  
priestess is waiting for you." She turned around and  
  
started to walk away. Darien and Ami followed and the  
  
captain stayed behind to watch over his men.  
  
They walked through the brush and between the unusual  
  
tall trees. They had unusual leaves. They were long and  
  
sharp. They reminded Darien of a fan. If they were taking  
  
a path, Darien was unable to see. After about an hour of  
  
walking through the maze-like forest, Darien heard a whistle  
  
and a returned one further away. 'So we have reached their  
  
camp. I wonder who this great "priestess" is.' They soon  
  
stepped out of the forest to see a small camp. The houses  
  
were made of wood and sticks. At the center of the village  
  
was a huge fire pit that had a flame that was reaching for  
  
the sky. All of the people had black hair and eyes. Darien  
  
could see the firelight reflect and sparkle in their hair  
  
and eyes.  
  
They were being guided to a large temple made of mud  
  
bricks. The only mark on the temple was over the doorway.  
  
It was a circle with an arrow coming out of the side of it.  
  
As Darien was walking into the temple, he felt a great power  
  
being worked. He then saw a young woman who had long black  
  
hair with two crows sitting on her shoulders. She seemed to  
  
be in deep meditation and not aware of their arrival. She  
  
was staring at a flame while making different hand gestures.  
  
Ami waited patiently acting like this happened everyday.  
  
Soon she snapped out of her trance and her eyes focused on  
  
them. "So you have arrived? It is just as I had foreseen.  
  
I am glad to see you both." The priestess ran over and gave  
  
Ami a big hug. Ami and the priestess embraced like old  
  
sisters and were shedding tears endlessly. 'Does he know  
  
yet?' The priest thought-spoke to Ami. Ami shook her head  
  
no.  
  
The priestess then turned toward Darien and offered her  
  
hand, "Hello good prince, I am Rei, head priestess of the  
  
Mars people. Welcome to my home. You are welcome to share  
  
my fire with me." She bowed low and offered them some food  
  
to eat and water to drink.  
  
'Rei and Ami are really hitting it off well. It is  
  
like they know each other from before…' He saw a glimpse of  
  
them together in a uniform. 'What? Who are these girls?'  
  
He did not realize he had spoken aloud until the girls had  
  
stopped their gossip and were looking at him.  
  
"Do you dream?" Rei asked.  
  
"What do you mean? I dream all of the time like  
  
everyone else." Darien simply stated.  
  
"No, I mean do you have visions when you are asleep and  
  
when you are awake?" Rei gaze seemed to look right through  
  
him.  
  
"Yes," Darien whispered. "How did you know?"  
  
"Never mind. Do you remember any of them?"  
  
"Some, but not really. Just glimpses." Darien  
  
confessed.  
  
"You get headaches. Ami told me about your sick spell.  
  
That is not natural. Come with me." Rei got up and walked  
  
toward the holy flame of her people. "Come. Sit. Now  
  
relax. Just gaze toward the flame."  
  
Darien agreed just to humor her. All of a sudden he  
  
began to see different flashes of his lives. He did not  
  
know why he knew that he was born again, but he knew. He  
  
then saw an old woman turn young. He saw himself kiss her  
  
hand and kneel at her feet. He heard her say go and find  
  
the nine races. What he heard next shocked him cold. '"Go  
  
and find my daughter." Who is she? Why do I feel like I  
  
know her?' Darien began to shake all over again.  
  
"Ok. Darien you have had enough. Wake up and return  
  
to this world." Rei chanted a few words and then Darien  
  
woke up from the trance.  
  
"What? What happened to me?" He involuntary shook from  
  
an unfelt cold wind. "Who is she? Who is that woman's  
  
daughter? I know her. What is her name? I must find her."  
  
He looked up to Rei for answers but she was unreadable and  
  
did not offer anything to explain his dream. All she did  
  
was smile at him and then turned away.  
  
She walked up to Ami and said, "He knows. Not  
  
everything though, but enough so he has a burning desire to  
  
find her." She flashed a quick bright smile, "We may be able  
  
to save her this time."  
  
The next morning was cloudy like the day before. The  
  
sun was unable to shine through the think gray clouds. Ami  
  
and Rei were chatting by the fire for breakfast. "Darien,  
  
come join us!" Rei called. Darien walked from his hut to  
  
join them. He heard the splattering of meat and saw some  
  
kind of animal being roasted. He sat down and just stared  
  
into the fire. He listened to Ami and Rei's conversation as  
  
he was trying to clear his mind from sleep. He did not  
  
sleep last night; dreams of that girl plagued him all night.  
  
He remembered all of the other dreams he had for the last  
  
month of that girl.  
  
"Ami!" Rei's shout broke Darien's from her thoughts.  
  
"You know I hate men! Just because Grandpa wants me to  
  
marry so I can carry on the lineage through the family,  
  
does not mean I want to, nor will do. You know how I am and  
  
was."  
  
"Yes, I remember. You have not change a bit," Ami  
  
giggled.  
  
"Yeah, and neither have you. Still the brain of all of  
  
us," Rei teased.  
  
"What was I like?" Darien whispered softly. He looked  
  
up at them with pain burning in his eyes and sadness painted  
  
on my face. "How come I don't know who I am, but you do?  
  
Everyone in the whole world knows who I am and what I was  
  
but me!" Darien ended shouting and stomped off away from  
  
the fire.  
  
"We better watch what we say in front of him," Ami  
  
stated. "He is jealous of us because we have companionship  
  
and he has no one. Remember, he was banished from his only  
  
known home a little while ago."  
  
"You are right. Besides it is time that we find the  
  
others. Do you have any idea where any of them are?" Rei  
  
question.  
  
"I think Jupiter is in the deep jungle near Darien's  
  
home. I just hope he does not loose his sense of mind when  
  
we return to his country. It will not be easy for him."  
  
  
  
***  
  
Wow, reformatting is taking as long as the story! Haha.  
  
Hope that you are still continuing enjoying it. If you  
  
desire, could you please give some feedback? I am just  
  
curious on what you think. 


	5. Chapter Four

Standard Disclaimers  
  
Darien's Quest  
  
Chapter Four  
  
  
  
'So, I have come full circle. I left my home country not  
  
knowing why need to seek these people. And here I am, back  
  
to where I started and still have not answered my question.'  
  
It had only taken them two weeks to return to the Earth  
  
kingdom. Luna had been sent back to Atlantis in order to  
  
update the queen on the status of their quest. Ami thought  
  
it would be wise if they stopped in some small trading  
  
village to avoid as much trouble as possible. They were all  
  
in robes that covered their faces because they did not want  
  
to be noticed. The captain told the deck masters that they  
  
were two sick, old women and a man who have seen this part  
  
of the country since they were very young. The captain said  
  
that they did not have long to live and had a terrible  
  
disease that rotted the skin. The deck masters kept far  
  
away from the trio. The simple plan turned out to be a  
  
great success. No one must know about the two legendary  
  
races are real and think that their prince had returned in  
  
failure.  
  
The three travelers headed southeast toward the wild  
  
country. No one had gone into the forbidden forest. It was  
  
often spoken of as inhabited by wild men, who were rumored  
  
to be giants. The Earth people referred to them as the  
  
Amazons. As the three lonely travelers entered the lurking  
  
forest, Ami stops and takes out her compact.  
  
"Hmm… I think that Jupiter's tribe is at the very  
  
center of this forest. We need to focus a course of a 63  
  
degree angle southeast." Darien and Rei gave her a look of  
  
'what is that supposed to mean?' "Oh, sorry guys, um that  
  
way." She pointed to the section of the forest were the  
  
trees looked to looming out on to the travelers.  
  
"Great," Darien spoke sarcastically. "Of course this  
  
quest would have no easy parts to it. Come on let's start  
  
going." Darien marched off into the forest and could not be  
  
seen after a few steps.  
  
"DARIEN!" Rei yelled. "Wait! It is too dangerous for  
  
us to be split up, even for a few seconds! Darien!" She  
  
waited for his reply but she heard nothing. The forest  
  
became silent. All of the nature had stop to witness some  
  
horrific event. "I have a bad feeling. Come on Ami! I  
  
think that the prince is in trouble!" Rei and Ami ran off  
  
to the spot where Darien disappeared.  
  
They saw his tracks up to three meters within the  
  
forest and then they vanished. "It looks like there was a  
  
struggle here," Ami replied. "Look! Feathers?" She picked  
  
up the unusual peacock feathers.  
  
"Ami, I think I know what happened. Look at this  
  
carving." Rei was pointing at a carving on a tree that  
  
looked like the number four with lightning around it. "The  
  
Jupiter People. They have Darien. Come we must hurry.  
  
There is no telling what they will do to him. Even if  
  
Jupiter knows who he really is." Rei and Ami start running  
  
toward the savage heart of the jungle.  
  
*****************************************  
  
Green light. Giants. Forest. Darkness. Darien saw  
  
flashes of his surroundings. His head hurt and he could  
  
barely open his eyes. The blood from the wound on his head  
  
had made his eyelids almost unable to open. 'Oh, my head.  
  
What happened? Where am I?' The prince saw an image of a  
  
beautiful woman with long silver hair and a crescent moon on  
  
her forehead. '"Help me." Her! I must find her. Where am  
  
I? What happened to my head?' An image of tall dark people  
  
with eyes green as the trees that they lived under attacking  
  
him silently crept into his head. He could not even draw  
  
his sword because they were upon him so swiftly. Now he was  
  
being dragged through the forest. To what destination and  
  
what fate, Darien did not know. He heard voices and tried  
  
to focus on them through his pounding head.  
  
"….intruder…plate…Jupiter is always hungry."  
  
"…best food… yeah, so am I."  
  
'These barbarians are going to eat me! I have never  
  
thought that such people could exists.' Darien moans. 'I  
  
must not make any more noise otherwise they will think that  
  
I am wake and may kill me now. Hopefully, if they think  
  
that I am still unconscious, they will do nothing to me and  
  
I will still have the advantage of surprise.'  
  
"This one cries in his sleep. The dungeons will suit  
  
him for trespassing on our land!" Darien gets jabbed in the  
  
side by a spear. It took all of his strength not to move or  
  
make any expression on his face. "Get all of the sleep you  
  
can tonight stranger, for tomorrow night we feast!"  
  
Darien suppressed his rage and decided to come up with  
  
a plan of escape. But as dawn approached, he could not  
  
think of any. His only hope was for Rei and Ami to save him  
  
from his perilous fate.  
  
****************************************  
  
Rei and Ami were sprinting through the forest avoid  
  
trees and shrubs. Ami stops and yells at Rei. "Do you hear  
  
that?" Ami asks breathlessly. Rei lifts an ear toward the  
  
sky and then presses her lips firmly. "Yes, I thought so.  
  
We must hurry. They will feast tonight to honor the  
  
lightning of the Jupiter people." They sprinted off into  
  
the darkness.  
  
****************************************  
  
The forest continued to loom over Darien as he was  
  
being dragged through it. He heard thunder in the distance  
  
and slowly was getting louder by the heartbeat. Through the  
  
canopy, he could see lightning flash every couple of  
  
minutes. He could tell by the thunder roaring and the  
  
silence of the forest that this storm would hardly be mild.  
  
He wondered what time it was but was unable to tell due to  
  
the dark, thick clouds blocking the moonrise.  
  
Thunder echoed throughout the forest, keeping a perfect  
  
beat. It was almost too perfect and was getting louder and  
  
faster. 'What? That can't be thunder!' Darien realized  
  
that he was hearing drums beating to the flashes of  
  
lightning. The beat was a deep rumbling that shook his  
  
every being. Soon his heartbeat matched the patterns of the  
  
drums. As they drug him into their camp, Darien took notice of  
  
the natives. They were giants, standing a head taller  
  
than him. They had piercing green eyes that shown savagely  
  
down at him. Soon hundreds of eyes were watching him like a  
  
predator eyeing its prey. His captors drug him trough the  
  
center of the camp until he reached a throne made of oak.  
  
Darien was flung up to a kneeling position with his head  
  
held downward. He glanced upwards to see a beautiful Amazon  
  
Queen. She was tall like her people and had leaf green  
  
eyes. She had a powerful body and carried herself proudly.  
  
As she stood from her throne and started to walk towards  
  
Darien, he noticed that she walked like a true warrior. She  
  
seemed at ease and yet on guard at the same time. Darien  
  
knew that this Amazon was not one to be messed with.  
  
"Release him," she ordered. She grabbed Darien's chin  
  
and lifted it upwards so she could pier into his face.  
  
Her eyes were intense and seemed to search his very being.  
  
Then she did something that completely took Darien off guard.  
  
She smiled warmly, "Welcome back my prince." She held out  
  
her right hand to help him stand. He took it in order to  
  
keep the Jupiter people from killing him. Then her words  
  
hit him like a fist in the gut.  
  
"If I may ask, my Lady, why did you call me your  
  
prince? How do you know me when I have never seen you  
  
before?"  
  
She smiled again, "Later, later. Now, we feast!" A  
  
young female warrior walked up to the queen and whispered in  
  
her ear. The Amazon Queen grinned and said, "Of course you  
  
let them pass!" She looked at Darien and said, "Come,  
  
friends have arrived." She motioned for him to follow her.  
  
Soon he could see two familiar females and laughed at  
  
their sour expressions. "Come on, Lita why must you treat  
  
friends as enemies?" Rei questioned irritably.  
  
"Of course, you guys are my best friends. How could I  
  
ever forget you?" Lita, the Amazon Queen, ran up to them  
  
and gave them big hugs. "I have missed you so much. For a  
  
long time, I thought that I was the only one! How long do  
  
we have?"  
  
"Not much," replied Ami. "We need to leave in the  
  
morning if we are to find all of us in time."  
  
Lita nodded gravely, "Ok, we will start tomorrow. As  
  
for tonight, we will feast!" She laughed.  
  
"We have been hoping to get here in time to celebrate  
  
with you and to eat your good food," Rei complemented.  
  
"Wait a minute! I get captured and drugged to the  
  
middle of a forgotten forest, not knowing where I was or if  
  
I would live and all you guys thought of was food!" Darien's  
  
face was bright with rage.  
  
The three girls laughed at him, "Darien, you know me?  
  
I would never harm an old friend," Lita laughed.  
  
"Old friend! I have never met you in my life! How  
  
could we be old friends!" Darien was furious. "How come  
  
everyone knows who I am but me!"  
  
Lita looked at the girls. "He does not remember us?"  
  
She had a confused look on her face.  
  
"No, he does not," Rei states sadly. "He must recover  
  
his memories by himself."  
  
"Why? Why can you not tell me?" Darien asks.  
  
"It would disrupt order and may cause a different  
  
future than we are hoping for," Ami stated. "Please just  
  
trust us!"  
  
Darien looked into her eyes and was shocked at how they  
  
were begging him not to ask anymore. He closed his eyes,  
  
swallowed and nodded slowly. He tried to clear his mind of  
  
all thoughts but questions nagged him throughout the feast.  
  
He retired early to try to get some sleep before the journey  
  
to the legendary city of El Dorado, the capital of the Venus  
  
people.  
  
  
  
***  
  
I hope to get this all out before I leave! If not I am sorry  
  
Everyone! 


	6. Chapter Five

Standard Disclaimers  
  
Darien's Quest  
  
Chapter Five  
  
  
  
Days slipped by as the four hiked endlessly through the  
  
forest. Darien became impatient and felt like they were  
  
walking in circles. The happy mood that was present during  
  
the start of the journey started to fade and annoyance  
  
started to set in. "Ami, how much longer? I feel like we  
  
are not getting anywhere!" Darien could not hide his over  
  
powering irritation out of his voice. He was sick of  
  
walking forever in a jungle that seemed to have no end. He  
  
was sick of seeing the girls whispering amongst themselves  
  
and then become quiet when he approached them. He was sick  
  
of feeling like he was alone. 'How much longer? I don't  
  
know how much more I can take!'  
  
"Almost out of here guys. I promise. We have only  
  
like a couple of hundred of feet to clear and then we are  
  
out of this jungle. I think that we will arrive in the  
  
valley the day after tomorrow. Then we can only hope that  
  
we can find Venus. She is a sly one and tries to protect  
  
her people from the outside world. We may be searching for  
  
days or weeks. I just hope that she knows that we are  
  
coming." Ami looked down at her minicomputer and pointed to  
  
the direction that would lead them out of the forest. "Ok  
  
there is the fastest way out. We will be out in no time."  
  
'Yeah, that is what she said a half-hour ago,' Darien  
  
thought. However, Ami prediction was correct as usual, and  
  
they were out of the wild forest of the Amazons and in an  
  
open field of rolling hills. In the distance, Darien could  
  
see mountains that looked like they touched the sky. They  
  
were magnificent in size and in beauty with clouds surround  
  
them in mystery. They seem to be hiding some sort of secret  
  
and would make any other traveler want to avoid them. Once  
  
Darien saw them, he felt an obsession rise to go to them.  
  
Lita followed his gaze and nodded. "Yes, at the base  
  
of those mountains we will find Venus and her people. From  
  
there, we will find Haruka in her wild mountains. First, we  
  
must find Venus. Ami, what is the quickest way? We have  
  
wasted so much time, and time is too precious."  
  
"Then lets go!" Rei states and briskly walks toward  
  
the direction of the mountains. Lita, Ami, and Darien  
  
looked at each other, shrugged, and run after her. They  
  
spent the next two days walking toward the mountains. They  
  
took as few breaks as possible knowing that every second  
  
counts. Darien felt like he was running a race and was  
  
loosing. After what seemed like forever to Darien, the  
  
little company reached the valley that the Venus people  
  
dwelt.  
  
The valley was rich in soil and seemed to sparkle like  
  
gold. A river wove through the valley and at the far end  
  
there was a sparkling city. It looked like it was made of  
  
gold and glittered in the sunlight. A large wall surrounded  
  
the city and appeared to be completely fortified. As battle  
  
tactics ran through Darien's mind, he soon realized that  
  
this city was not as welcoming as it first looked. He felt  
  
that the city was a deadly trap that gave an illusion of  
  
beauty, but behind it were deadly fangs. 'How are we going  
  
to get into that? It is a thing of beauty in its fullest!  
  
No one would be able to get into that! Not even the best  
  
generals in his father's army could find a way to conquer  
  
that city! I will leave this one up to the girls since they  
  
seem to know each other well. I just hope that they can get  
  
us into the city. I don't think that we will make it.'  
  
Darien snapped out of his thoughts as he heard Rei call his  
  
name. He caught up with the other three girls. They  
  
decided to follow the river to the city and from there,  
  
Darien had no idea how they would get into the city.  
  
The walk was very pleasant as birds were singing and  
  
the sun seemed to never hide behind any cloud long. The  
  
mountains gave a sense of protection from the rest of the  
  
world. Darien felt like he was in a whole other world: one  
  
that was filled with peace and harmony. Everywhere he  
  
looked was beauty and he could not get enough of it. He  
  
tried to soak it all in but as soon as he looked at another  
  
flower, Darien became amazed again. It did not take long  
  
for the four to reach the lovely city.  
  
As they walked up to the gates, a guard hailed them.  
  
"Stop there! Who are you and what is your business here?"  
  
He held a golden bow with a golden arrow that was aimed  
  
straight at the four. The other guard disappeared, as the  
  
travelers were only a hundred feet away.  
  
The four stood in silence each trying to think of the  
  
quickest way into the castle. 'Ami never said anything  
  
about guards,' Darien thought. 'Hmm, I think that I will  
  
leave this one up to them to figure out.' Darien waited  
  
patiently but on guard for the girls to act. However, none  
  
of them did anything and just stood there waiting for  
  
something to happen. Darien noticed that the guard had  
  
become annoyed at their silence and became more threatening.  
  
'What could they be waiting for?'  
  
Lita had an expression of determination and a warrior's  
  
stance that was at ease but most threatening. Rei looked  
  
like she was in one of her trances again. Her eyes were  
  
unfocused and glazed. Her face was expressionless and  
  
seemed like to just be a shell with out a body. Ami looked  
  
worried and confused. Every once and a while she would look  
  
at Rei and then down to her compact in her hand and then  
  
back at Rei again. Darien himself was starting to become  
  
worried. 'Are we going to stand here all day? Am I the one  
  
that is supposed to speak?' Darien caught Lita's eye and  
  
she looked at Rei. Rei had snapped out of her trance and  
  
was looking at Darien. She lifted her eyebrows as if  
  
saying, 'well what are you waiting for?' Darien sighed and  
  
shook his head.  
  
He took two steps forward and took a deep breath.  
  
"Greetings, I am Darien Terran, Prince of the Earth. These  
  
three are my companions: Ami, Princess of Mercury, Rei,  
  
Princess of Mars, and Lita, Princess of Jupiter. I have  
  
been charged a quest to find all of the lost eight lost  
  
races and find the Moon Princess. I ask to seek an audience  
  
with your ruler." Darien waited patiently for the guard's  
  
response. To his surprise the guard laughed at him and then  
  
lifted his arm. From on top of the wall thirty archers  
  
appeared out of nowhere and were aiming at Darien and the  
  
princesses. Darien stood his ground and reached for his  
  
sword. He was about to draw it when he felt someone's hand  
  
on his arm. He looked down and saw that Lita had grabbed  
  
his arm.  
  
"No, we will come again another day. It would be a  
  
waste to die now. Come, they have one today, but there is  
  
always a new dawn." Lita nodded at Rei and Ami and then  
  
turned around and walked away from the building. Darien  
  
opened his mouth to argue but then snapped it shut when he  
  
saw that Ami and Rei were following Lita. He felt his blood  
  
starting to boil and his anger swelled. However, he knew  
  
that he could not take all of these warriors by himself.  
  
Maybe with Lita's fighting skills, Rei's power and Ami's  
  
strategies, they may have beaten them, but he could not do  
  
this all alone. Besides, he could not let any harm to come  
  
to the princesses. They did not know battle and could not  
  
know how to even handle an enemy when the time came.  
  
Somewhere, in the deepest part of his soul, he knew that  
  
they have suffered even more than he ever did.  
  
After he crossed the hill that the three disappeared  
  
behind, he felt someone grab his ankles. "Get down!" Rei  
  
hissed. "We must come up with a plan to get inside that  
  
fortress. I knew that Venus was protective but I never  
  
thought that she would go this over board." Rei looked at  
  
the others and they shrugged.  
  
"I think that we should wait until night fall and scale  
  
the walls. I saw an over hang from on the side of the  
  
mountain that we can use to drop on in, but we need to find  
  
some rope to help climb the mountain. Most of it was almost  
  
vertical and it will be difficult to climb. From there we  
  
need to find the palace and try to break into it." Darien  
  
looked at the three waiting for their response. They looked  
  
at each other and nodded.  
  
"Sounds simple enough and it may just work. Besides I  
  
bet you this all Artemis's doing," Rei stated. "I wonder  
  
what that fool is up to? He must know what is going on."  
  
"Artemis? Who is Artemis?" Darien asked Rei.  
  
"Oh, he is Venus's guardian and advisor, but I think  
  
that his advice has come to be bad over these last few  
  
years," Lita answered.  
  
"Excuse Me?" a voice sounded from behind a small shrub.  
  
Behind some rustling leaves, a small cat emerged. He was  
  
white as the moon and had the same crescent moon symbol as  
  
Luna. He had an irritated face and anger flashed in his  
  
eyes. "I have nothing to do with this. A greedy monster  
  
captured Venus and all of El Dorado has been taken over.  
  
The city fell two months ago and I have been trying to find  
  
a way back inside. It looks to be almost impossible but now  
  
that you three have arrived, there is hope." The cat's face  
  
now shone with hope as he looked at the girls.  
  
Darien was furious. 'You three! I believe that I am  
  
the one that can help the most!' "I believe that there are  
  
four of us, thank you." Darien did not even attempt to hide  
  
his bitterness from his voice.  
  
The cat looked at him, and raised one eyebrow. "I do  
  
not think that we will need you. I trained these three and  
  
I have complete faith in them. They will rescue the forth  
  
of their court."  
  
By this time, Darien's face was completely red and  
  
looked like he was about to burst. He opened his mouth  
  
again to say something, but Rei beat him to it. "Artemis, I  
  
would like to introduce you to Prince Darien of the Earth  
  
kingdom. He is the one who found us and it is also his  
  
quest that we travel."  
  
Artemis jumped on Darien and knocked him down from his  
  
sitting position. He looked into Darien's eyes and  
  
whispered, "Funny, I thought that the Earth people had brown  
  
eyes." Darien was furious and was about to throw the cat  
  
off him but Artemis said something that completely shocked  
  
him. "You better not hurt her this time. It was all of  
  
your fault," Artemis hissed and then jumped off Darien. "He  
  
can come if what you say is true. What is your plan?"  
  
"The queen came to him, otherwise he would not be  
  
here," Rei defended. "Besides that era is over and we were  
  
given a new one. Let us not make the same mistakes. We  
  
need to attend at the task at hand. How heavily guarded is  
  
it, Artemis? Where is she?"  
  
"She is in the highest tower that is only accessible by  
  
one door. That door is hidden behind the throne. We must  
  
find a way to distract the demon and get past that door.  
  
Hmm…what do you girls suggest?"  
  
"Ami, if you and Rei can dress up as dancing servants  
  
and somehow distract the demon away from the door, Lita,  
  
Artemis and I can get the princess." Darien waited for all  
  
of their approval.  
  
The three girls looked at each other and after a few  
  
minutes, Rei spoke for all of them. "We will do it, but  
  
only for the quest. I cannot believe that I will be dancing  
  
for some male demon!" Rei muttered angrily. Ami and Lita  
  
looked at each other trying to hide their smirks at Rei's  
  
comment.  
  
"Artemis, go and find Luna. I believe that she was  
  
returning to my mother's palace," Ami informed. Artemis  
  
nodded and sprang off into the grassy bushes. Then the  
  
heroes began discussing their plan.  
  
****************************************  
  
"Sire, there are two men outside saying that they have  
  
brought the most beautiful dancing ladies in the land. He  
  
wishes to offer them as tribute to your Excellency. What  
  
shall I tell him?" The messenger spoke from under himself  
  
since he knelt so low that his head almost touched the  
  
floor.  
  
The demon looked almost human with pale yellow hair and  
  
blue eyes. He had one earring that dangled with a large  
  
black stone from it. In the middle of his forehead was a  
  
little black crystal. Many would have called him handsome  
  
if it were not the nasty smirk that he always wore and the  
  
evil that glittered in his eyes. "Yes, do bring them in,"  
  
he ordered with an oily voice.  
  
A few minutes later, two men dressed as mercenaries  
  
walked in with two of the most beautiful women the demon had  
  
even seen. One had long black hair and the other had short  
  
blue hair; both were exotic in their own way. The taller of  
  
the two guards took a step forward, "Good day sire, I am a  
  
humble slave trader who has been fortunate to find such  
  
beauties as these in my travels. They come from far away  
  
lands and were stolen from their mother's arms when they  
  
were young. I hope that they will please you." The slave  
  
dealer stepped back beside the other one that remained  
  
silent.  
  
The demon studied both of the men briefly. The one  
  
that spoke walked and stood with ease that was only fit for  
  
the best-trained soldiers. The other must be his apprentice  
  
for the lad was almost as tall as the man, but he did not  
  
show any type of masculine properties yet. He was skinny  
  
and lacked any facial hair. His long hair was pulled back  
  
in a ponytail. The demon then studied both of the beautiful  
  
exotic women. Never before had he seen such wonders. He  
  
must have these two. "Please I would like to see your  
  
slaves dance." The demon sat back in his chair and put one  
  
hand under his chin to hold his head up. He was going to  
  
enjoy this entertainment.  
  
The slave with the blue hair sat down and started to  
  
play on her lyre. The other started to dance to the music.  
  
She was graceful and looked like she was dancing around a  
  
fire in some sort of strange ceremony. The demon soon  
  
became entranced in the girl's dance. He could not keep his  
  
eyes off her and soon he found himself dancing with her.  
  
She had eyes that were as dark as a raven and deep as the  
  
ocean. He became so entangled with the intensity of the  
  
girl's eyes that he did not hear his own voice tell all of  
  
the guards to leave them. He did not see the two  
  
mercenaries slip behind the throne and open the secret door  
  
that led to the tower.  
  
***************************************  
  
Darien and Lita ran up the stairs often taking two at a  
  
time. The stairs climbed up around in a circle. 'When will  
  
these stairs end? The may just go on for forever!' Darien  
  
thought. Every twenty steps a torch was lit, flashing and  
  
sending shadows all along the long stairwell. After what  
  
seemed like a thousand steps later, the two came across a  
  
thick wooden door.  
  
The knob had the face of a large cat roaring. At the  
  
center of it's forehead was the sign for Venus, a circle  
  
with a cross coming out of the bottom of it. There was a  
  
keyhole inside of the cat's mouth. Darien gave Lita a  
  
questioning look. She just shrugged and backed up a few  
  
paces. Then she sprinted for the door and hitting it with  
  
her shoulder. She fell back on her side. The door did not  
  
even budge, and it did not even make a squeak or groan.  
  
Lita stood up while briefly rubbing her shoulder. She tried  
  
to hide the pain from her voice.  
  
"It is solid. I don't have a key and I did not see one  
  
on that monster. Rei and Ami can only keep him preoccupied  
  
for a brief amount of time. We cannot put them in more  
  
danger than we have to. Do you have any suggestions on how to  
  
break down this door?" Lita asked. Pain briefly flashed  
  
in her eyes, but then they became dull once again.  
  
"It seems that brut force won't open the door. There  
  
must be a key that we can use. We don't have time to search  
  
for one either. You are right whatever we have to do; it  
  
must be done quickly. We just don't have time!" Darien  
  
shouted. He pounded his fist on the door. Something inside  
  
him told him that he must find all of the races soon. The  
  
one that he seeks is fading fast. 'I am going to loose her  
  
again. It is all my fault I should have protected her. She  
  
would not be in so much pain if I…' A lone tear traced the  
  
outline of Darien's face and falling on his sword. The  
  
runes flashed brightly for a heartbeat. Darien drew his  
  
sword and knelt. He placed the runes to his forehead and  
  
whispered something so softly that his own ears could not  
  
hear it. Suddenly the cat roared and clamped its mouth shut.  
  
Darien heard a soft click and the door opened slightly.  
  
Lita rushed past him and dashed into the room. Darien  
  
got up from his knees and wondered what just happened. It  
  
was as if someone took over his body and he could do nothing  
  
but watch from the inside of his head. He sheathed his  
  
sword and followed Lita into the small room. There was no  
  
window and the only light was from a small candle on the  
  
floor. There was a straw bed and a young woman about the  
  
size of Rei sitting on the floor. Lita was hugging her and  
  
crying also.  
  
The young woman was beautiful. Although she was grimy  
  
from being locked up so long, her hair was still the color  
  
of sunshine and her face was perfect. She was the perfect  
  
image of love and beauty. He watched Lita help her stand  
  
and walk. They were still murmuring among themselves. They  
  
did not seem to notice him at all. 'Is this the gratitude I  
  
get? She does not even say thank you!' Darien thought  
  
bitterly.  
  
Finally the girl looked up to Darien and smiled.  
  
"Thank you dear prince. Lita tells me that your name is  
  
Darien." The way that she said his name sounded like a small  
  
child wanting to be called a new name instead of their birth  
  
name. "We need to get rid of the intruder. No one breaks  
  
into my palace without paying the consequences." Her eyes  
  
flashed in anger. "Come. We are all now gathered. It is  
  
time."  
  
"Are you sure? You do not look like you have enough  
  
strength to." The girl raised her hand and Lita clamped her  
  
mouth shut immediately. Darien had never seen that before.  
  
He did not think anyone could do that to Lita. She marched  
  
off to the door and down to the stairs. Lita followed her  
  
silently. Darien shrugged to himself and followed the two  
  
women.  
  
The trip down was much quicker than the way up and much  
  
easier. When Darien peered around the corner of the  
  
doorway, he saw that the guards had taken Rei and Ami. The  
  
demon's back was too him, but he could tell that the half-  
  
man was smiling evilly. "We must act quickly." Darien  
  
whispered. He reported what he saw and the two girls had  
  
grim faces. They nodded to each other and then did the  
  
thing that Darien was afraid of. They burst through the  
  
door and ran and jumped on the half-man. The guards were as  
  
shocked as the demon and dropped the other two girls.  
  
Lita screamed, "Run we can handle this. Go get out of  
  
here. Get help!"  
  
"No, we came here to get all of us out. Mina, we must!  
  
We are all here!" Rei stood there pleading with the young  
  
woman that Darien and Lita rescued.  
  
Mina looked at Lita and they both jumped off of the  
  
monster. The each took out a small stick each having their  
  
symbols at the top. They raised them above their heads.  
  
"Venus Make-Up!"  
  
"Jupiter Make-Up!"  
  
"Mars Make-Up!"  
  
"Mercury Make-Up!"  
  
Suddenly, a great light surrounded all of the girls.  
  
Darien raised his hand over his eyes trying to shield them.  
  
Still, he could not see the individual girls and the light  
  
had gotten so bright that he had to turn around otherwise he  
  
would be blinded. When he noticed that the light had  
  
subsided, he turned around and his jaw dropped. He saw the  
  
woman had turned into their warrior outfits. They had short  
  
skirts and white shirts. Each wore a tiara with a small  
  
crystal at the center of it.  
  
Mina raised her hand and pointed at the monster. "You  
  
will pay for what you have done to my people! Venus  
  
Crescent..." Darien felt some kind of power gather around  
  
her. "…Beam!" He watched a beam of light fly toward the  
  
monster. He also felt other powers gather. Before he  
  
understood what was happening, Darien saw a fireball, a  
  
lightning bolt and water bubbles surge toward the monster.  
  
The demon was engulfed by the magnitude of all of these  
  
strange powers. Darien watched with horror as the half-  
  
man's body was turned to ashes. He stared at the ash for  
  
what seem to be a long time.  
  
Mina broke the silence, "Are you ok? Darien? I am  
  
sorry that you had to witness this so soon, but we had no  
  
other option." Darien noticed that all had changed back  
  
into their normal form.  
  
"Wha.. What was that? Who are YOU?" Darien started  
  
back away from all of the girls. Never before in his life  
  
had he felt fear until this moment. He was not afraid of  
  
their power because he had seen people with stranger power  
  
than theirs. What he feared was that they were familiar;  
  
too familiar. His eyes became dazed and he did not see the  
  
room at all.  
  
'Four women, four princess, four warriors protecting  
  
the universe. "We must protect her!" The woman in orange  
  
screamed. There were explosions all around. Suddenly there  
  
was bright light and loud noise. He felt himself tumbling,  
  
tumbling into darkness.'  
  
Darien awoke on the floor. His head pounded painfully  
  
as the dream started to fade into the deepest part of his  
  
mind. What he did remember was that these women were  
  
important and that he knew them from before. He was unable  
  
to see them because his vision was still blurred. As soon  
  
as he could think clearly, Darien stood up. Rei and Lita  
  
supported him. All of them had concern in their eyes. He  
  
barked a bitter laugh. 'Why would they be concerned about  
  
me? What am I compared to them?' "Who are you? I will not  
  
ask again." Darien said with a hard voice. 'What am I  
  
doing? They could kill me at any moment! I cannot match  
  
that power!' But somewhere in the deepest part of his soul,  
  
it was he who held the authority.  
  
Mina sighed. "I am Mina, Princess of the Venus people,  
  
guardian of Venus, Leader of the Inner Sailor Soldiers,  
  
protectors of the Nine Planets. I am Sailor Venus."  
  
"I am Lita, Princess of the Jupiter people, guardian of  
  
Jupiter, protector of the Nine Planets. I am Sailor  
  
Jupiter."  
  
"I am Rei, Princess of the Mars people, guardian of  
  
Mars, protector of the Nine Planets. I am Sailor Mars."  
  
"I am Ami, Princess of the Mercury people, guardian of  
  
Mercury, protector of the Nine Planets. I am Sailor  
  
Mercury."  
  
Darien stood there emotionless as if he already knew  
  
what each would say. Mina studied him and then mockingly  
  
asked, "Who, my dear prince, are you?" The only answer  
  
Darien gave them was his unreadable, impassive face.  
  
  
  
***  
  
Guess who they will visit next? Any ideas? Well you will  
  
have to wait and see! 


	7. Chapter Six

Standard Disclaimers  
  
Darien's Quest  
  
Chapter Six  
  
  
  
Winds pounded Darien's face as he hiked up the barely  
  
visible path leading into the High Mountain. With every  
  
step he took, it seemed after the wind became harsher and  
  
the mountains more foreboding. He thought back to when they  
  
left Mina's home a week ago, '"who, my dear prince, are  
  
you?" I wish I knew.' As their number of companions grew,  
  
so did Darien's feeling of loneliness. 'These four girls  
  
have each other and whom do I have? No one,' he answered  
  
himself. Yet, in some deepest part of him, he knew that  
  
this was not true. 'Her…I must find her. She is the key…'  
  
Soon, rain fell unmercifully upon the shoulders of the  
  
prince. He could barely make out the tall frame of the  
  
Amazon. 'Left, right, left, right. Must we keep climbing?'  
  
Darien thought. 'How can they keep this up? We have been  
  
climbing since daybreak yesterday.' Darien was out of  
  
breath due to the thickness of the mountain air. The air at  
  
Gaea was always thick and humid due to the warm wet climate.  
  
Most humans stayed where it was warm and crops would  
  
survive. Not too many people would venture into the colder  
  
climates. In the legend, it was told that the people of  
  
Earth lived all over, even in the frigid north. However,  
  
that secret in conquering the cold climate was lost in the  
  
Great War. Only the fabled soldiers know of its secret and  
  
their lips have been sealed for a thousand years.  
  
Darien was so deeply in his thought that he did not  
  
notice that the group had stopped. "The wind is getting to  
  
strong to struggle against and the rain has turned to snow.  
  
We are not going to get there any faster in this storm. I  
  
think that we need to stop and rest for a few hours," Ami's  
  
soft voice carried over the harsh wind.  
  
"Finally!" Darien breathed.  
  
"Ami, how long until the shelter is ready?" Mina yelled  
  
over the wind.  
  
"It should only take about a half hour."  
  
"Good. I am going to scout a head and see if there are  
  
any obstacles that we need to be aware of," Mina yelled.  
  
"Mina, I'll join you," Lita volunteered. Mina nodded  
  
her confirmation.  
  
"Rei, try to contact Haruka to tell her we will be  
  
meeting up with her soon. You remember the last time we  
  
came unannounced," Mina giggled.  
  
"Right," Rei laughed. "Come back soon guys. I don't  
  
want to be out in the cold more than I have to." Mina and  
  
Lita smiled. They turned and disappeared in a cloud of  
  
snow.  
  
Darien stared after the women then shook his head. He  
  
then glanced over and looked at Rei and Ami. He wondered  
  
how so completely different women could get along so well.  
  
'But, then they do sometimes have their disagreements,'  
  
Darien thought as his eyes glazed over.  
  
'A beautiful girl with long silver hair was strolling  
  
along in the gardens. It was dark out, so the silent  
  
observer could only see the stars' reflection off her lovely  
  
hair. "Princess! What are you doing here! You know that  
  
it is forbidden to stepping foot on Earth! You could be  
  
kidnapped or even killed! Then your mother would come after  
  
me!" Venus lectured.  
  
"You should know better considering your position! You  
  
need to be more responsible!" Mars fumed.  
  
"Venus, Mars, you do not have to be so harsh! I can  
  
take care of myself, thank you!" a low voice sobbed and the  
  
silver hair woman stomped off into darkness.  
  
"No, angel, don't go!" the silent observer whispered  
  
into the night.'  
  
"No, angel, don't go," Darien whispered to himself.  
  
His eyes where still out of focus.  
  
"Hello, Darien, are you okay?" Rei asked. His eyes  
  
were still dazed and did not respond to her question. Rei  
  
grabbed his shoulders and shook him while repeating her  
  
question getting louder each time.  
  
Darien blinked a few times and looked down to the  
  
petite woman. His eyes hardened as the found himself too  
  
open and vulnerable. 'I must stay closed to these women,  
  
but for some reason, I feel like I can trust them.' "Rei,  
  
if I may ask, what are you doing to me?" Darien asked in a  
  
harsh voice.  
  
Her cheeks flushed in both embarrassment and in anger.  
  
"Trying to wake you up from your little daydream. You have  
  
been standing there grinning like an idiot for the past ten  
  
minutes. Now that you are awake, you can help Ami and I put  
  
up the shelter," Rei bit out. Darien flushed in anger and  
  
nodded slightly as if granting permission from a vassal at  
  
court. He walked over and grabbed a pole while mumbling, "As  
  
you wish."  
  
About a half-hour later, the shelter was up and Rei was  
  
by the fire. Mina was sitting on the floor with a great  
  
blade on her knees. She gently stroked the beautiful blade  
  
slowly as if it was bring every memory associated with it at  
  
once. At points, he fact would light up like the sun and  
  
then it would fade. Darien watched Mina through his  
  
eyelashes, feigning sleep. Then Mina's face changed into a  
  
new color, deathly pale. Her face was filled with horror.  
  
She took the blade and held it up, inches from her face.  
  
"Why, my dear princess, why?" Mina breathed. Her eyes  
  
watered up and the sword fell to the floor. She leaned down  
  
and covered her face, sobbing quietly.  
  
A few moments later, the other girls walked in. They  
  
did not even glace at Darien's shocked face. The women  
  
gathered around Mina, hugging her, telling her everything  
  
will work out and that they will find her.  
  
"Besides, we have to focus on what we are doing and not  
  
what was passed," Rei stated.  
  
Darien played the silent observer once more.  
  
****************************************  
  
"Haruka seems to be angry with us. She is barely  
  
letting us pass," Ami stated. Her blue hair was whipping  
  
all around her. She had her mini-computer out again and  
  
seemed to be calculating the distance to their destination.  
  
"I am going to give her a piece of my mind," Mina  
  
stated angrily. "HARUKA! I COMMAND YOU TO STOP THIS! YOU  
  
ARE WASTING TIME. TIME THAT WE DON'T HAVE!" As soon as she  
  
finished shouting, the wind stopped. A second later her  
  
echo returned mockingly. "Now, that is much better." Mina  
  
had a pleased look on her face, one that occurs on a mother  
  
after scolding her child.  
  
"He is not welcome here," a deep feminine voice stated  
  
behind them. The company turned swiftly around. Standing  
  
behind them with her arms crossed in a menacing manor was a  
  
tall woman. She had dark blonde hair that was cut short  
  
above hear ears. Her legs were long and thin, and she  
  
looked very powerful. "He is not welcome here," she  
  
repeated. Her dark blue eyes were boring into Darien's.  
  
When he heard her voice, it took all of his power not  
  
to seem alarmed. 'How could I have not hear her or even  
  
feel her. The wind shields her from my senses.' When she  
  
threatened him with her eyes, Darien met her stare for  
  
stare. He knew this woman, and he knew that they never got  
  
along.  
  
'A tall woman with short blonde hair pulling his love  
  
away from him. "Princess, you know the law." The tall woman  
  
glared at him one more time, and then both of them  
  
disappeared in a flash of light.'  
  
"Uranus," he greeted flatly. He didn't know where that  
  
came from but it fit correctly. She just stared at him.  
  
After a few moments of the staring contest, Darien  
  
remembered four gasps. He broke his gaze from the woman and  
  
turned his hard eyes to the Inner Soldiers. Shock was  
  
written on their faces. In response, Darien just lifted an  
  
eyebrow.  
  
"So the gathering has finally come to pass. Good, I  
  
wish to see my beloved Michiru again. Why has the Earthling  
  
returned? Has his race caused enough trouble?"  
  
"The Queen visited him first and charged him to seek us  
  
out. He was chosen first," Rei stated. Her dark eyes  
  
flashed as the wind played with her hair. "It was foretold  
  
through the centuries."  
  
Haruka's eyes drifted away from Darien and onto Rei.  
  
Her only response was a slight nod of understanding. She  
  
then turned and started to lead them back down from the  
  
mountains. The others rushed to follow her. 'Great, now I  
  
have another one to look out for. At least the other girls  
  
were a little nicer to me.' All of a sudden, there was a  
  
flash.  
  
'He saw blood all around him. He could feel himself  
  
dying. He knew that the Silver Millennium would fall, all  
  
because of a demon on his planet. He should have protected  
  
Moon Kingdom better. He should have protected her better.  
  
As he felt his heartbeat slow, he turned his eyes on his  
  
love. Her face was stained with tears and she was reaching  
  
for his sword. "Selenity," he whispered with his last  
  
breath.  
  
"Selenity," Darien breathed, as tears were falling from  
  
his face. As he closed his eyes, he fell to his knees and  
  
wept.  
  
  
  
***  
  
Another chapter reformatted. Wow, this takes a long, long time!  
  
Hope that you are still enjoying the story. Evaluate it sometime! 


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